Date AND TIME
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
8:30–10 a.m. MST
Location
Ivory Ballroom
Thomas S. Monson Center
Empowering Tomorrow: Sierra Leone’s Women Lead the Way
“When you fight evil, you must fight it aggressively.” These powerful words from Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, first lady of Sierra Leone, set the tone for an inspiring and thought-provoking event. As part of our Women’s Leadership series, Dr. Bio shared insights on her Hands Off Our Girls campaign. The initiative tackles urgent challenges facing young women, including child marriage, gender-based violence, and human trafficking — issues affecting both her home country and communities around the world.
Dr. Bio highlighted her vision for a future where young women are not only protected but fully empowered to pursue education, build careers, and lead their communities. She underscored the importance of providing essential, often overlooked resources that help girls succeed and thrive, emphasizing that true progress requires a commitment to both safety and opportunity.
Her message resonated deeply with attendees, reminding us that true progress requires not only protection but empowerment for the next generation.
Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone
Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, the first lady of Sierra Leone, started as an award-winning actress and has become a leading advocate for women’s and girls’ rights. Her “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign addresses child marriage, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), teenage pregnancy, and child trafficking while also promoting justice and raising health awareness on issues like HIV/AIDS and cancer. She secured a government pledge to provide free sanitary pads to all schoolgirls in Sierra Leone and led the adoption of November 18 as the UN Day for the Prevention of Child Sexual Exploitation. She also expanded 34 Military Hospital into a modern, 600-bed facility focused on SGBV care.
In 2023, Dr. Bio was appointed UNAIDS Champion for Adolescent Girls and joined the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Zero Waste. As a visiting lecturer at Milton Margai Technical University, she teaches performing arts and has spoken at leading global institutions like Harvard University and the University of Warwick. She holds bachelor's degrees in performing arts from Roehampton Institute of London and in journalism from the University of Arts, London College of Communication.
Learn more about Dr. Bio’s “Hands Off Our Girls" campaign.